Month: June 2016

OpenSky Boost is Coming

Plus, new in-depth reporting, how to nail product packaging & more.

You told us you wanted to see exactly how we’re spending your marketing dollars and how your sales are doing in return. Ask and you shall receive. See details below.

Plus, meet a merchant who wowed us with their packaging and get to know Bench, an online bookkeeping service that pairs you with a team who can handle all that annoying paperwork so you can focus on everything else.

Boost Your Products

Pro Plan members, you now have a new “Advertising” tab in your Merchant Toolkit that will soon give you access to Boost Alpha (our first phase of OpenSky Boost) if you don’t already have access to the feature. OpenSky Boost is the easiest way to reach new, qualified shoppers across the Web.

Here’s how it’ll work:

Once you have access, select an advertising budget.

Our algorithms place your products on top sites like Facebook, Google and 100s more, and we give your products added exposure on OpenSky.com.

Shoppers see your products and buy them.

You sit back and get ready for more sales.

You’ll also be able to check your Boost stats anytime in your Dashboard and we’ll email you with updates on how your products are performing. Want to know more? See our FAQs and if you don’t have access to OpenSky Boost yet, stay tuned. We’re inviting more merchants every day and will let you know when you’re eligible.

Keep in mind that OpenSky Boost is only for Pro Plan members, so if you’re on the Starter Plan and want access, be sure to upgrade your account. Elite and Enterprise members, your personal account manager is already advertising your products across the Web for you, so you’re covered.

In-Depth Reporting Debuts

Elite and Enterprise merchants: Have you seen your new, improved, and very detailed monthly report? It shows your cumulative and monthly sales and order totals, your marketing spend, your commission fees, and much more.

You can see exactly where we’re marketing your products, your return on ad spend and your top products.

Elite merchants, we even show you how many orders were canceled, products’ return rates and top shopper concerns so you can make adjustments if needed. Plus, you’ll find several tips at the end of the report so you can optimize your operation and continue to grow your sales.

Please note that this detailed reporting is only for Elite and Enterprise merchants. If you’d like to upgrade your account, contact our team for consideration.

Urban Metal Designs is Killing it

As you prep your products for shipment, remember how powerful packaging can be. It can leave shoppers feeling like it’s Christmas all over again and eager to buy from you again, or it can make them wonder why they made the purchase in the first place. Urban Metal Designs totally got it right. Great work and high-five!

Simplify Bookkeeping & Save

Bench is a new kind of bookkeeping service that takes the pain out of small business accounting. When you sign up with Bench, you’re assigned a team of dedicated bookkeepers who know your business. Meanwhile, Bench’s simple, intuitive cloud interface lets you:

Analyze your revenue and expenses with in-app reports.

Photograph and submit documents.

Protect your bookkeeping information with bank-grade security.

Spend less time doing your books and more time growing your business. OpenSky members get 20% off their first 6 months with Bench. Claim your free trial today.

From Auctiva EDU & The OpenSky Merchant Blog

Dad Was My First Business Teacher

Childhood lessons lead to success.

By Dennis L. Prince

I grew up working alongside my dad and little did I know that his work style would translate into the philosophies I use today. Read Story